494 THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



peculiar greenish-black colour of the upper parts, renders this bird 

 the most pleasing representative of a family all of whose members dis- 

 play considerable attractions. To handle and examine one of these 

 birds is a recurring enjoyment. It is not, however, often that 

 one obtains one on this island, as during the spring passage 

 almost all of them migrate at great altitudes without alighting, 

 and only send down to us from the blue sky the greeting of 

 their clear and flute-like calls. Young birds of the year, with the 

 upper parts marked by fine rust-coloured spots, occur here in much 

 greater abundance, and are shot fairly often. This species is the 

 earliest arrival of the genus, the first individuals being observed as 

 early as the end of March. The migration lasts until the end of 

 April. 



The species is found breeding from central Europe and Asia up 

 to and within the Arctic Circle. 



285. Wood Sandpiper [BRUCH-WASSERLAUFER]. 

 TOTANUS GLAREOLA, Linn. 1 



Totanus glareola. Naumann, viii. 78. 



Wood Sandpiper. Dresser, viii. 143. 



Chevalier sylvain. Temminck, Manuel, ii. 654, iv. 416. 



This, the smallest of the typical long-legged Sandpipers, occurs 

 somewhat more frequently than the preceding species, but also 

 invariably only in solitary instances during the spring migration, 

 from about the middle of April to the end of May. It does not 

 avoid the grass-plots of the Upper Plateau to the same extent as the 

 Green Sandpiper, being frequently shot while running about there. 

 This, however, refers only to old birds, for young autumn birds are 

 hardly ever obtained here at all. As long as I have been collecting, 

 only two examples of the latter have been shot ; they invariably 

 migrate at great altitudes, without being induced to follow the 

 decoy- whistle. I ought to add that the August of 1888 formed an 

 exception to this rule, some five or six young birds having been 

 killed in the course of that month. 



The breeding zone of this bird extends through northern 

 Europe and Asia to Kamtschatka, and in the north advances 

 beyond 70 N. latitude. 



1 Totanus glareola (Gmel.). 



